PSYCHOGENIC DYSPHONIA AND ITS SEVERAL CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS

Ano: 2013 | Volume: 17 | Número: Suplemento

Autores: Martins RHG, Pessin ABB, Tavares ELM, Pereira ERBN, Ranalli PF.

Resumo Inglês:

Psychogenic dysphonias are vocal disorders of functional origin that have highly variable clinical manifestations. AIM: To present the clinical peculiarities and vocal emission characteristics of a series of patients with a diagnosis of psychogenic dysphonia. CASUISTRY AND METHODS: The medical records of patients with a diagnosis of psychogenic dysphonia who were aged 16 years or older and who attended the Voice Disorder outpatient clinics of the Botucatu Medical School over the past 10 years were reviewed. The parameters analyzed included sex, age, occupation, form of vocal symptom manifestation, vocal emission characteristics, and videolaryngoscopic findings. RESULTS: In total, 26 patients were included (age, 16-78 years), of whom 24 were women (mean age, 34 years) and 2 were men (mean age, 55 years). Notable occupations were housemaid (n = 17), teacher (n = 3), and salesperson (n = 3). Sudden onset of symptoms was reported by 14 patients, an intermittent course by 15 patients, and a duration longer than 6 months by 16 patients. Videolaryngoscopic findings were normal for 25 patients, and only 1 case of vocal sulcus was identified. Conversion aphonia, skeletal muscle tension, and intermittent sonority were the most frequently manifested forms of vocal emission. CONCLUSIONS: Psychogenic dysphonia manifests as a variety of clinical forms, the most frequent of which are conversion aphonia, skeletal muscle tension, and intermittent sonority. Clinical aspects are of the disorder are discussed and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach highlighted.